Other democracies spend up to 10 times more on civil legal aid than the United States. A Florida Commission looks to close the Justice Gap without money

A new phone app can help the tens of thousands of low-income Floridians who must defend themselves in family court because they can't afford a lawyer.

The Florida Courts Help app provides access to information and documents needed to divorce, seek a protection order, adopt and other family law matters.

The Florida Commission on Access to Civil Justice, released the app Friday before a meeting focused on family law in Tallahassee. Commissioner Gregory W. Coleman said the tool was designed to help those who can’t afford a lawyer.

A so-called justice gap, hampering millions in civil court cases is a growing problem, according to experts. One litigant does not have a lawyer in more than three-fourths of all civil trials in the United States. Last year, nearly two million people were turned away from legal aid providers due to a lack of funds, according to the Bureau of Justice.

In announcing the app's release, Coleman said it's needed even after the legal profession donates more than a half-billion dollars in free aid annually.

“(And) that’s just making a small dent in the 85 percent of our citizens in family law that are self-represented,” said Coleman. “There is not enough free legal work lawyers can do and there is not enough money to help them.”

The Florida Supreme Court created the Access to Civil Justice Commission four years ago to find ways to provide legal advice and direction for low-income Floridians. A committee led by State Court Administrator PK Jameson developed the app, which is designed to help litigants navigate the 186 forms used in family law cases.

Those forms were downloaded more than one million times last year, Jameson said.